Basil Walnut Bread

It's the toasted walnuts that bring out the sweetness of basil in this bread.

Servings: 2 loaves

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cups warm water
2-1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for oiling
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
4-1/2 cups or more bread flour
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts

Method:

In a large bowl, mix the water with the yeast and the sugar; let stand until the yeast proofs, about 10 minutes. Mix in the 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, and then 2-1/2 cups of the flour. Mix in the basil, cheese, walnuts, and remaining flour to form a soft dough, adding more if necessary. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Brush a large bowl with oil; add the dough and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch the dough down and divide in half. Shape each half into an 8-inch-long oval. Place the loaves on a non-stick baking sheet . Make 4 slits in the top of each loaf with the point of a sharp knife. Cover the loaves with tea towels and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake about 35 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to racks to cool.

Note:   You can intensify the basil taste by serving slices of this bread with a basil butter, simply made by whipping 1 stick salted butter with 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil.

Gail Greco is the food editor of Carefree Cooking; a field editor for Romantic Homes magazine; and a contributor to many other publications.  She has authored more than 15 books on cooking, decorating, and home lifestyle.

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